Winter Village 10235 Winter Village Market

[Gryphon Ink]

Price per brick is one thing; I don't think that's the issue most people are having. I'm personally frustrated that Lego has decided to increase the size of the sets (and therefore the price) for WV. The first three sets were in the 600-800 piece range, and $55-70 USD range. Some of us just don't have the money to justify spending $100 on a set, especially during a time of already-high spending. For me, that's the problem. I loved the first three sets, and am effectively finding myself priced out of the line.

Considering how nice those first three sets were for their smaller size, that's a real shame.

Precisely! The WV started out as a great theme with smaller, beautiful sets that you could justify adding to your holiday shopping. At the prices they cost now, they ARE the holiday shopping. I just won't have the money to buy myself a WV Market and another flagship set come holiday season. It's going to be one or the other. And while the Winter Village IS a very nice theme, I'd rather get an LOTR flagship or a new train. So instead of TLG getting $150-170 from me come Chanukah time, they will get $100. Not that I believe they're worried about this very much - I'm sure there are plenty of AFOLs who are planning to buy 3-4 of these just for the horses or the arches. (I have no beef with the guys who can afford to do this. It just doesn't work for my financial situation.)

I really wish this wasn't the case, because I love that carousel a little more every time I look at it. That is a great design. And you know those horses would work so well for a high fantasy theme, because they are totally Faerie horses.

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

Why do they keep making different lampposts?! Consistency, TLG! You do it with the Modulars. Come on! Other than that, I'm defnitely liking it. All the booths are nice and will go well with the gazebo from 10222 Post Office as the centerpiece of a little market.

Thank you for saying this! When I saw the pictures last night, I have to admit that after my sheer joy of another awesome Winter Village set, I said to myself, "another damn lightpost design." While they have all been neat, I have to echo the call for a consistent lamp post. I think it's safe to assume that a majority of the people who get these sets, display them next to each other.

[Multiverse]

I don't mind the different lamppost designs - I've started to think of them as a mark of the series, much as the simpler, but uniform lampposts are in the modulars. I think it underlines the theme's status as a less 'orderly', more charm-of-the-differences alternative to the modulars. In fact, I would probably be a little disappointed if they settled on a single lamppost design for future sets, since this would appear to me as akin to making a new lamppost for the next modular.

[Hey Joe]

Hey! Thanks for the great pics Grogall. That's a beautiful set.

I agree with many of the posters here that the piece count / price is too high (I like the smaller, cozier sets of years past myself), but I think I see where they're going with the series and I'll go along for the ride. We'll probably be getting some more large sets in the future such as another Holiday Train or - gasp! - a beautiful Winter Village train station.

Joe

[Gryphon Ink]

I have to say that I'm now looking forward to WV sets every year for two things mainly: what will the light brick do, and what will the lamppost look like. It's just fun to see what the designers come up with, and it does work very well for a nostalgic portrayal of a time when not everything was standardized (even if that nostalgia is not entirely realistic).

I'm a little sad that there is no lightbrick in this year's set. But spinning the carousel does make a great alternative action feature, and won't need new batteries in five years.

[CorneliusMurdock]

I just got around to watching the designer video.

I didn't realize that the carousel horses rocked as it spins. I was on the fence about whether I would get this set before (budgetary reasons) but that just pushed it into the "must have" category.

[TheLegoDr]

I agree about the lampposts. I do wish there was some more consistency. Although I've liked all of the other lampposts before this one. I think this one looks too simple and "cheap." The others were more ornate. I loved the Post Office one, if it were only a little taller. But I love the black single piece lamppost that they use the white version for in the Modulars. I don't like that they changed that lamppost from 6 indents to 4. The new version looks terrible compared to the old version. I guess I'll just mod the lamppost again, if I ever get around to rebuilding them all and displaying them.

[GRogall]

The are consistent!, every set has a different black lamp post!

[Blondie-Wan]

Price per brick is one thing; I don't think that's the issue most people are having. I'm personally frustrated that Lego has decided to increase the size of the sets (and therefore the price) for WV. The first three sets were in the 600-800 piece range, and $55-70 USD range. Some of us just don't have the money to justify spending $100 on a set, especially during a time of already-high spending. For me, that's the problem. I loved the first three sets, and am effectively finding myself priced out of the line.

Considering how nice those first three sets were for their smaller size, that's a real shame.

Ok, fair enough! I was just addressing the idea of it being overpriced for what one gets, not whether Winter Village sets at this price point are a good idea. I do think the set has plenty to justify it, but I totally get the complaint about $100 being difficult for some of us regardless of whether it's a good deal or not. Right now I'm actually agonizing over several local LEGO clearances I'd dearly love to take advantage of, since even with the lower prices I still just can't quite afford everything I'd like.

[The Jersey Brick Guy]

The are consistent!, every set has a different black lamp post!

That's one way of looking at it!

[Joebot]

I think this is going to be the first Winter Village set that I skip. As a standalone set, this will probably feel very empty once you build it. And if you're adding it to your existing Winter Village, it feels kind of redundant. Each of the previous sets already came with a bunch of little side-buildings and structures. Now here's a whole set with nothing BUT little slide-buildings and structures.

I think it would have been better received if it was released as TWO sets -- one with the carousel and one with all the little stands. I've often thought that the Winter Village theme could steal a page from "Department 56" lighted villages, which often sell a big standalone building, then two or three small accessory sets designed to coordinate with the building. That's a pretty smart product marketing approach that I wish TLC would adapt with this theme.

[brickdad46]

I see lots of whining about no light brick. What about a big bonfire with a light brick in the middle? Would add some more flavor to the setting.

[just2good]

Why do they keep making different lampposts?! Consistency, TLG! You do it with the Modulars. Come on! Other than that, I'm defnitely liking it. All the booths are nice and will go well with the gazebo from 10222 Post Office as the centerpiece of a little market.

We lost consistency on these when the Post Office had the green roof with white tiles depicting snow. Darn that roof!

And, a lightbrick could have been incorporated in the middle of the carousal, as the top has the nose cone. We'd just need to put the clear studs on 1x1 new knobs and have some space on for the lightbrick and it would have worked personally.

But hey, this is still a decent set.

[ShaydDeGrai]

I like the carousel and the overall color scheme, but this set really pings one of my biggest pet peeves with TLG of late: too many "little builds" bundled in a big box rather than a genuine "big build" for your buck. I don't mind spending $100 on a nice set, but when I'm done I want to feel like I just put together a $100 kit, not box-full of $10 polybags. I don't know if TLG did a survey and found out kids today have short attentions spans and little builds will sell better or what, but when _I_ open a big kit, I really prefer it if all the parts ultimately connect to all the other parts to form a single structure; I like something more mechanical than a common theme and a table top to hold the various sub-assemblies together.

I know it's not the way WV sets are marketed, but I think I'd like this set better if it were just the carousel (for half the price or so) with the other stands/vignettes sold separately for $5-$10 each. It just _feels_ more honest about what you're getting that way.

I don't mean to pick on this set. It's nice. I'll probably buy one, I just wish it wasn't continuing the trend of collected little builds pretending to be a mid- to high-end "model".

[Ajax]

Big price tag on a small set? The only thing I like in this set are the mini figs.

[Vestabuyer]

Greetings! Where I am going to buy this set, since I have not missed one yet and also have the "unofficial" winter village train (Set 10173-1), I can't help but notice the absence of a light brick which is in all f the past sets. Anyone else find this odd? Anyway, I am sure there is a way to rig a light brick to the merry-go-round as it spins.

[Rick]

I like the carousel and the overall color scheme, but this set really pings one of my biggest pet peeves with TLG of late: too many "little builds" bundled in a big box rather than a genuine "big build" for your buck. I don't mind spending $100 on a nice set, but when I'm done I want to feel like I just put together a $100 kit, not box-full of $10 polybags. I don't know if TLG did a survey and found out kids today have short attentions spans and little builds will sell better or what, but when _I_ open a big kit, I really prefer it if all the parts ultimately connect to all the other parts to form a single structure; I like something more mechanical than a common theme and a table top to hold the various sub-assemblies together.

This is probably exactly why it doesn't seems like great value for money to me, even though I can rationalise the price tag. I felt the same way about 8404.

I know it's not the way WV sets are marketed, but I think I'd like this set better if it were just the carousel (for half the price or so) with the other stands/vignettes sold separately for $5-$10 each. It just _feels_ more honest about what you're getting that way.

The problem with this is that a certain theme only gets a limited number of sets. It's also why we don't see two 16 x 32 modulars per year, why train cars aren't sold separately and why different types or tracks and road plates are bundled together (Duplo included since this year).

[spzero]

love those horses they look great with the printing,

[BrickBloke]

Fantastic!! Love it!! But do I really have to wait until October?

I already have plans to motorise it... Then I'll have to look into how I can light it up... Then how I can incorporate it into my existing village... Then change those roofs to all white so it 'makes sense' (as someone else pointed out, the Post Office wasn't covered in snow either).

Why oh why do I have to wait until October???

Edited July 16, 2013 by BrickBloke

[Jargo]

The horses are the best part of the set. They'll make great Circus horses.

Regarding the rest of the set, I fail to see how an outdoor winter market could have been achieved if it wasn't done in lots of small builds. Try to see this in context with the other winter village sets, the skating pond and the bakery. The large decorated christmas tree, the christmas tree stall, the bandstand. It all fits together perfectly. In fact it's far more cohesive than modulars or City sets.

[LegoDad]

I like the carousel and the overall color scheme, but this set really pings one of my biggest pet peeves with TLG of late: too many "little builds" bundled in a big box rather than a genuine "big build" for your buck. I don't mind spending $100 on a nice set, but when I'm done I want to feel like I just put together a $100 kit, not box-full of $10 polybags. I don't know if TLG did a survey and found out kids today have short attentions spans and little builds will sell better or what, but when _I_ open a big kit, I really prefer it if all the parts ultimately connect to all the other parts to form a single structure; I like something more mechanical than a common theme and a table top to hold the various sub-assemblies together.

I know it's not the way WV sets are marketed, but I think I'd like this set better if it were just the carousel (for half the price or so) with the other stands/vignettes sold separately for $5-$10 each. It just _feels_ more honest about what you're getting that way.

I don't mean to pick on this set. It's nice. I'll probably buy one, I just wish it wasn't continuing the trend of collected little builds pretending to be a mid- to high-end "model".

This is my exact issue with the set. A lot of little builds doesn't make you sit back and think you got your money's worth. I really like the look of it, and it will go together with the rest very well, but when you make a bunch of 200 piece sets, you feel like you should have spent $50, not $100. That said. I will buy it because it is still very well done.

[gryffindorcommonroom]

Love those winter sets so much... Expensive to buy and ship to my country behind enemy lines though :D

Edited July 17, 2013 by gryffindorcommonroom

[CM4Sci]

The Brick Show uploaded a video of the unveiling of the set.

-Sci

[bekindsorewind]

The Brick Show uploaded a video of the unveiling of the set.

-Sci

I'll stick to the designer video and official HD pictures if I ever wanna see this set.

[Palathadric]

This is awesome!